Sharks and Superstitions
by Geezworld234
Summary: Joint fic with Bethyboo97. Friday the 13th never seemed to bother her until she had all the bad luck in the world.
1. The Start of a Bad Day

**DISCLAIMER: NOT OURS! Joint fic with Bethyboo97 in answer to the Friday 13th and story behind Sandra's shark mug challenges, enjoy any review would be lovely! :)**

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She wasn't a superstitious person which was why Friday 13th of meant nothing to her, she never saw the point and to be quite honest she found it funny to see other people getting so worried over a date. All of this being true meant that when she stepped out of the house to see a black cat sat on her car, she never thought twice about it. The cat refused to move as she walked closer to her car, it didn't move when the car made a noise in reaction to being unlocked, it wasn't until she physically shooed it that the black cat jumped down from the bonnet of her car.

The engine refused to start as she put the keys in her ignition, before removing them and trying again, which didn't seem to make a difference no matter how many times she tried it.

"Great." Sandra sighed as she realised that her car wasn't going to start, this just wasn't going to be her lucky day but that had nothing to do with the fact it was Friday 13th.

"Gerry are you in the office yet?" Sandra asked desperately as Gerry answered the phone.

"Yeah, where are you?" Gerry asked her.

"At home, my cars broken down. I was going to ask if you'd give me a lift but if you're already in the office then it's pointless. I'll just walk."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah I'll be in as soon as I can."

"Okay, you might want to try and walk quickly because Strickland's looking for you and he doesn't look happy."

"Does he ever?!" Sandra laughed. "See you soon." She was still laughing at her own joke when she put the phone back in her bag and started on her walk into the office.

After nearly a 20 minute walk she was nearly at the office, but the pavement she was now walking on was in serious need of being resurfaced, the cracks in the pavement were massive and practically unavoidable for even the most cautious of people. But being 20 past 9 in the morning, she was still half asleep and the long walk was only adding to the exhausted feeling, tripping in a crack was inevitable and soon it happened. Keeping her balance and trying to look composed wasn't even an option because he shoes seemed to have different ideas, the slight snapping noise and then her falling was the tell tell sign that the heel on one of her boots had snapped. She could have coped with this had no one else seen and if it had been a normal morning at this time then no one would have, unfortunately this morning there were builders working on a café. Their laughs could be heard from the other side of the road, where Sandra stood, which only added to her rapidly declining mood and to top it all off when she got to the met building which she was now stood in front of she had to deal with Strickland who according to Gerry was in a bad mood.

"Sandra…" She thought she could get in and get a coffee down her before having to deal with Strickland but as he seemed to have been sat in reception waiting for her she had no choice in the matter. "Where have you been?"

"Car broke down and then I had to walk in and my shoes broke so whatever this is can it wait until I've been down to the office and changed into my shoes I have down there?"

"Fine, yes yes, I want you in my office as soon as you've done that though." Strickland told her. Changing her shoes would take her a couple of minutes tops so she had no time to chat to her team to find out what this particular lecture might be about.

Having left her office after changing her shoes and having been laughed at by Gerry by the story of her morning she was even an even worse mood by the time she reached Strickland's office.

"Sir…" Sandra smiled overly politely.

"Sandra, we've had a complaint from David Harrison about the use of his DNA in the Long case."

"What about the Long case?"

"He said his DNA was used without his permission."

"What?!" Sandra said shocked at how anyone had found out about that.

"Sandra I know the boys aren't all for doing things by the book but I expected you would. It seems like the boys have had rather the wrong impact on you." Strickland shouted.  
"It won't happen again."

"You damn right it won't." Strickland told her sternly before sighing. "You do realise that Harrison wants an investigation into this?"

"Surely people will think he's just doing this because he's been charged with 4 rapes?"

"Well that's how we'll paint it if it gets to that but don't put me in this situation again."

"Sorry sir." Sandra told him before she left his office and returned to her own.

As she walked into her basement office where two of her three boys where unsurprisingly doing nothing, she threw her bag to the sofa in the corner of the room but instead of that it hit the table and knocked over some piles of paper next to where Brian was sat.

"MY PILES!" Brian shouted as he watched the paper tumble to the ground.

"Sorry." Sandra tried before carrying on her journey to her secluded office, already this morning her car had broken down, she'd broken the heels on her new shoes, been shouted at by her boss and upset Brian. None of which was particularly good for someone who didn't believe in all the superstition

She had decided rather than brave the outside office, from which she could hear shouting, that until lunch time she'd stay in her own little office where the likely hood of anything else going wrong was slim.


	2. Things Can Only Get Better?

A strong gust of wind blew Sandra along the busy London pavement before ordering her hair to blind and suffocate her simultaneously. Usually when she popped out to buy her lunch it took no more than ten minutes but today being the week before black Friday meant the severely slashed prices and Christmas chill had well and truly began creating an incentive for people to begin the dreaded Christmas shop.

Sandra had always hated this time of year as a child her mother was more Scrooge than Father Christmas but today had gotten to a very bad start so when she was pushed into the road my the swarm of mother's attempting to get into Hamley's and shopping bags hitting her thighs she had enough.

After being rude to the young spotty girl at the bakery counter as she refused to make her a roast chicken and jalapeño toasted sandwich with extra relish to take out as there was no chicken left she selected the last prawn-mayo sandwich not noticing it had begun to discolour and paid.

"That's 4.95" the girl said chewing gum in that revolting way a cow chews grass.

"Excuse me?" Sandra demanded she had never been asked to pay so much in here before.

"Prices have gone up for Christmas, £4.95".

"Please, wouldn't go a miss" Sandra worried about the youth of today none of them appeared to have heard of please and thank you let alone how to use them.

"Please" she replied sarcastically.

Sandra handed over her credit card and was shocked when she saw the writing on the card reader.

"Oh dear, your card's been declined" the adolescent smirked.

Sandra wanted to smack the brats face but instead smiled and calmly handed over a five pound note. "Keep the change she said" swiftly exiting the shop.

When she arrived back at UCOS HQ she wasn't surprised to see the boys were not working on their current case and didn't greet her as she walked through the door.

"For godsake I said I was sorry" she said dumping her lunch on the table.

Brian just grunted, Jack ignored her as he was busy doing the Times crossword and Gerry walked over to the table.

"Ugh, don't tell me you are actually planning on eating that. Guv". Gerry said wrinkling his nose as he lifted the sandwich packet into the light to inspect it more closely.

"Yeah, it's all they had" she replied as she went over to the coffee station.

"What in the whole of London? Sandra it's off".

"Gerry, it's not, how come there are only three mugs out don't you think I would have liked a coffee?"

"You weren't here when Jack asked" Brian said peering over his glasses which as usual were perched on the end of his nose.

"Well I'm back now." Sandra said heading to the cupboard where her special 'world's worst boss/best Guv'nor' mug the boys got her for her last birthday lived.

"Oh it it makes you happy I'll make your damn coffee" Gerry said reaching for the mug.

"No, no you made it clear you didn't want to make me coffee so I would rather do it myself" she said snatching the mug out of his grasp.

"Sandra stop being so childish" he yelled pulling the handle off the mug before a shocked Sandra let go. The whole mug shattered into tiny fraction. "Now that wasn't my fault" Gerry said in defence putting his arms in the air still holding the handle.

"Oh really? Can I sit down and eat my lunch or are you going to break the table as well?"

"No, no I think you lunch will be ruined by itself" Gerry muttered under his breath.

As Sandra bit into the slimly textured filling she knew Gerry was right and spat it out, gagging.

"Told ya" He winked.

"Shut up Gerry, I have had about enough for today and I don't need your snide comments" She said throwing the remainder of her lunch in the bin.

A few moments later Strickland wrapped on the door. "Sandra" He stammered prompting her to think this was more bad news and not an apology for earlier.

"Yes" she said through fused teeth.

"I, don't know how to tell me this, perhaps you wouldn't mind-"

"Whatever you have to give me a bollocking about probably involves the three wise monkey's over here so you might as well spit it out" she knew she shouldn't have spoken her her boss like that but right now she didn't care.

"It's your mother she's been taken to hospital, she fell down the stairs. They won't tell me how serious it is but they want you to see her". He said.

"Oh, right I better- I'm sorry about the way I spoke to you sir I've had a bad day but I know that was inexcusable".

"It's okay, go and see your mother and give her my regards." He said as she flashed a half smile at him.

"That's your faultt as you stood on a crack you did more than break your heel, you broke your mother's bleeding back" Gerry joked.

"You think that's funny, I've had enough of your wise cracks today Gerry Standing" she could have said a whole lot more but she not only couldn't be bothered but knew it would be impossible to get any work out of him for the next month at least.

Moments after the superiors had left Gerry slipped on his old faithful mustard coloured coat.

"Where you goin'?" The Northerner inquired.

"Out, to buy Lady McBeth a new mug as a way of saying sorry and cheering her up" he grinned.

"That's very kind and not at all like you" Jack commented.

Brian fished in his pockets and placed at 50 pence piece on the desk.

"What's that for?"

"It's all I have on, I want to contribute to this as I feel guilty for earlier, I'll give you more tomorrow".

"Forget, Brian, see you tomorrow."

After a long tube journey from the hospital Sandra almost broke her ankle on the small box on the door step. There was a note attached it which read:

"Guv, So sorry about earlier I know I'm an idiot, but as a way of saying sorry I present to you a new mug it was either a shark or a lion but I felt you are more like a shark at times as I genuinely thought you were going to bite my head off today.

Brian also contributed as he felt bad, it wasn't a lot but it's all her had,

Hope your mum's okay, see you tomorrow.

Love Gerry xxx"

"Oh Gerry, you daft sod" she laughed as she took opened the box to reveal a purple shark mug.

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_**The End!**_

_**Hope this was okay, any review would be splendid! :) xx **_


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